The Black Line
by 0Anonymo0
Summary: A B&W novelization. There's nothing wrong with seeking the truth, but the ideal always sounds much better. Black and his friends travel Unova, each with their own desires, but as time passes, reality becomes too big to ignore. That isn't to say that they won't try to anyway.


Entry #1

_I remember when Champion Alder visited Nuvema Town. It was in the afternoon, after we had breakfast and everyone was outside enjoying the weather. I was seven at the time, barely old enough to tie my shoes, and my mom had just dragged me away from the TV, telling me that I'd ruin my eyesight if I stared at it all day._

_I couldn't help it. Even back then, I was obsessed with Pokémon. I knew all the big name trainers, watched all the tournaments, played all the video games, and I couldn't wait until I was old enough to get my own Pokémon. My mom wouldn't budge though, and it was a nice day, so I decided to go see if my friends wanted to play. _

_Nuvema's always been a pretty small town, with a population of about fifty people, and only around a dozen kids. I was on good terms with all of them, but Cheren and Bianca have always been my best friends. I saw them every day, and our families were so close that I didn't even have to knock on their front doors._

_Bianca, as always, was happy to see me, and we didn't take long to set up a game of hopscotch. My mom once said that she came out laughing, something that I didn't really understand at the time, but isn't too hard to see now._

_Cheren, on the other hand, told us that he was too busy reading a book, and that he didn't really want to play. It was something that we were used to, because even as a kid, Cheren was a genius. It seemed like he knew everything about everything, and it still does. He almost never played with us, but we always played near him anyway, to give him the company we knew he wanted._

_Just as I was about to win the game, it happened. We hadn't been told, Alder just sort of showed up. He walked right into town, and everyone formed a circle around him. Of course, I made sure to get in front of the crowd, Cheren and Bianca right beside me._

_He was everything I imagined. Taller than all the grown ups, cool worldly cloak waving in the wind, and a red and white league hat covering his long orange hair. Later, I would discover that he came to visit his old friend Professor Juniper, but at that moment I thought he came for me. I thought that, by some miracle, Alder would take me with him to travel the world and teach me about Pokémon._

_He laughed when he saw all the children, a friendly laugh that boomed over the town. He asked who wanted to be a Pokémon trainer, and all of us raised our hands, jumping around like a bunch of hyped up Mankeys. His eyes drifted over us, finally resting on mine. He took off his hat, and walked towards me. I could barely contain my excitement. I couldn't believe that I got chosen from all my peers, but just as he reached me, I realized my mistake._

_Alder wasn't looking at me, he was looking at Cheren, my best friend. The Unova Champion kneeled down, placing his hat on Cheren's head, and told him that he'd be a great trainer one day. He said that Cheren reminded him of himself, that he had a fire in his eyes much like his own._

_I was crushed. I didn't cry, because I was too shocked to do so. I didn't notice the crowd dispersing, or Alder moving on to Professor Juniper's lab. I just stood there, my wide eyes staring at the distance. Bianca gave me a concerned glance, but Cheren shooed her away, and with another worried look, she left._

_Cheren waved his hand in front of my face, and when that didn't work, he snapped his fingers. I looked at him and received my second shock of the day._

_He was holding out the league hat. To me._

_I took it, and Cheren said goodbye before walking back home._

_Alone in the middle of the street, I put it on._

* * *

**Chapter One: Reaching For Clouds**

"-ack! Hey, Black! Quit daydreaming already!"

Black blinked, coming to his senses. "Huh?"

Cheren, who leaned his back against the wall, shook his head. "I swear, if you start acting like Bianca, so help me..." He trailed off, and Black fought the urge to smile. That would've only riled him up further. "Speaking of which, where's Bianca? I know that she's... well, Bianca, but I didn't think she'd be late to something this important."

Black shrugged, crossing his legs as he laid on his bed. It didn't take long for a grin to stretch across the boy's face.

Cheren saw it, and he groaned. "Come on, Black. I get that you're excited, we all are, but you can't keep putting up that stupid face every five seconds."

"It's not stupid."

"Yeah it is. It looks even worse than the one you have on your trainer ID."

"Hey!" Black sat up, digging around his jean pockets. Finally, he found a thin, plastic rectangle that he showed to Cheren. "I look great in this photo!"

The picture showed him how he looked now. Blue sweater over a black t-shirt, a spiky mane of brown hair, and the league hat he'd been wearing since the age of seven. Black thought he came out alright, grasping the brim of his hat to reveal a small smile.

Cheren scoffed. "Whatever. This," he held up his own trainer ID, "is how you take a photo."

Cheren wore a blue jacket over his white, red trimmed shirt. His hair cupped his face, going just past his ears, and covered the sides of his glasses. He had his head turned to the side and held his chin in his hand, like he was silently pondering something out of the frame.

Black looked at his own picture, and realized that while his made him look more approachable, Cheren's made him look more mature. Not that he was going to tell his friend that.

"I think the glasses ruin it."

"What!?" Cheren exclaimed. He crossed his arms, and Black nodded, forcing back the smirk that threatened to form.

"It isn't my fault that I have glasses!"

"You should really think about getting contacts."

"We're about to leave on our journey! There's no time for that now!"

"Should've done it sooner. Now everyone's gonna look at your picture and say, 'wow, those glasses really ruin it for me.'"

"Well, I think he looks just fine with glasses."

Cheren and Black turned to the door. There, hands clasped on the strap of her green satchel, stood their other best friend, Bianca. She wore a white dress that went all the way down to mid-calf, covered by an orange vest. Her blonde hair was covered by a green beret that matched her eyes. More importantly, she was blushing.

"Bianca," said Cheren, "it's about time. I thought we'd have to wait for you even after Professor Juniper dropped off our Pokémon."

Bianca's blush got redder, and she gave an embarrassed laugh. "Sorry guys, I guess I just... uh... lost track of time..."

Black glanced at Cheren, and both discretely nodded.

"Lost track of time, huh?" Black asked, leaning back on his bed, hands clasped behind his head. "Yeah, that sounds about right."

"Huh?" Bianca looked confused, but then she held her hips with a small frown. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing, Bianca," Cheren said. "Just that it's common to see you lose track of time. You're always late."

"I've never been late to anything before now!"

"How about the day we took our pictures for our trainer cards?" Cheren asked, examining his fingernails.

Bianca's blush returned. "Uh... Well..."

"You were also late last week when we went fishing," Black added, then yawned into his hand.

"Okay, but-"

"Let's not forget the time you were late to your own birthday party," Cheren told her.

"Alright, so I'm late every once in a while!" Bianca acknowledged, walking past Black and taking a seat next to Cheren, who was chuckling along with Black.

The moment she sat down, Black stopped. He turned his head, spotting a chair right beside his bed. Why'd she sit close to Cheren instead of him? _'Bianca's doing a lot of that these days,'_ he thought. She was stuck to Cheren like glue, and it got on his nerves for some reason. He would've told her so, but the idea of telling Bianca that he wanted her to sit near him seemed worse than being burned alive.

He blinked. What did it matter who she sat with? Why was he even thinking about it?

His thoughts got interrupted when Professor Juniper finally showed up, a wooden case in her hands. Black flew off his bed, and just when he was about to snatch the case, she held out her hand and placed it on his head, stopping him on his tracks with her superior reach. The boy extended his arms, grabbing fruitlessly at the air. She might not have looked like it, but Professor Juniper was _really_ strong.

"Now, now," she chided, calmly holding him back with one arm, "patience is a virtue, Hilbert. At thirteen, I expect you not to act like a little kid on Christmas."

That immediately stopped any action Black would've taken. His friends tried and failed to hold back their snickers, but he couldn't really blame them. For some reason, his mom got it in her head that naming her only son Hilbert would be a good idea. As it was the most ridiculous name of all time, especially for someone who was going to be a Pokémon Master one day, he changed it.

"That's low, Professor," Black grumbled, making his way to his friends. She laughed, and followed after him. The Professor placed the box on the table, and the three kids leaned over it.

"I'll be waiting at my lab," she said, turning around to leave. When she reached the door, Professor Juniper turned her head, giving them a stern glance. "And please decide who gets which Pokémon peacefully. No matter what, I'm sure you'll bond with many Pokémon on your journey anyway."

She walked out the door, closing it, and they were left alone. Black looked down at the wooden case with wonder in his eyes until Cheren nudged him on the shoulder.

"Well?" Cheren asked with forced impatience, though Black knew his friend was just as amazed as he was. This was the start of their dreams, after all. "Are you opening it or not?"

Black hummed, and slowly popped open the box. Inside were three Pokéballs, each with a small note underneath.

"I'll let you guys pick first," Bianca said, "though I'd really like a Snivy. Uh, not that you shouldn't pick it! Really, it's fine..."

Black nodded to himself. _'Bianca must have Snivy.'_

He took the Pokéball on the left and handed it to her. She tried to protest, but he wouldn't hear a word of it. Cheren seemed to be in agreement, and Bianca hesitantly took the ball from Black's fingers. She examined it in her hand, and after a moment, gave him a smile of appreciation. Black smiled back, trying to ignore the strange tingle in his belly.

That left two options.

Black's hand trailed over the remaining Pokéballs. It was either Tepig or Oshawott. If he picked Tepig, he'd be giving Cheren a huge advantage, and if he picked Oshawott, his best friend wouldn't stand a chance when they battled.

Black smirked. _'If that's how it's going to be, then there's really only one choice.'_

He picked up the Pokéball in the middle, and both Cheren and Bianca did a double take. His bespectacled friend was the first to react, reaching into the wooden container and snagging the remaining ball. Cheren held it up to his face, rotating it in his hand. Finally, he gave the other two a nod of approval.

"Hn. I wanted an Oshawott anyway."

"Black," Bianca said, catching said boy's attention, "why'd you pick the Tepig? Wouldn't it be easier to beat Cheren if you did it the other way around?"

Black grinned, holding up his Pokéball. "Yeah," he told her, "I would've probably handed him his ass on a platter if I chose Oshawott, but where's the fun in that? If I'm gonna be the best, I won't need an advantage."

Turning to his bed, Black pointed his Pokéball at its surface and released his new Pokémon. It came out confused, but that was to be expected. These Pokémon were young and, never having battled before, relatively weak.

"Hey, buddy," Black called out, catching its attention. The Tepig looked up to him, and the young boy reached out an open palm. It didn't flinch or step back, but stared at him expectantly, and Black couldn't help but smile. _'This one's a fighter.'_

He placed his hand on its head and rubbed it affectionately. It wasn't long before the Pokémon started leaning on his hand, giving a soft sound of contentment. Black fought the urge to whoop in victory, as gaining the trust of a newborn Pokémon was incredibly easy, and instead turned back to his friends and gave them a thumbs up with his unoccupied hand.

Bianca smiled at him and decided to follow his lead. She made her way to a corner of the room and started bonding with her own Pokémon, and with nothing else to do, Cheren sighed and did the same. After a few minutes, they all faced each other in the center of the room, their new Pokémon by their sides.

Bianca glanced at Cheren, and then set her eyes on Black, making him gulp nervously at the intensity of her look. "Black," she said, "how about we have a Pokémon battle?"

His eyes lit up. _'My first Pokémon battle...'_ After all that time watching TV and having pretend fights with the other kids, he'd actually do it for real! _'Not only me, but Bianca too! We'll have our first battle together!'_

Of course, it was at that moment that Cheren interjected. "Hold up, guys," he said, raising a hand, "I know that these Pokémon are pretty weak, but they're still Pokémon. Shouldn't you do this outside?"

Bianca faltered a bit, but it wasn't enough to sway her. "It'll be okay Cheren," she said, "we'll just have to be extra careful, right, Black?"

The newbie trainer grinned. "Right!" He looked down to his Tepig, who had started nibbling on his shoelaces. It must've sensed his look, because it stopped doing it immediately. "You ready, bud?" The boy asked it. "We're about to battle!"

Tepig seemed to understand what he said, because it started jumping around, squealing in excitement. It positioned itself in front of him, and Blair couldn't help but feel lucky. A fighter indeed.

Bianca's Snivy took a bit more coaxing, but before long, their Pokémon were facing each other, Tepig with enthusiasm, and Snivy with nervousness.

Black knew it wasn't going to be a very impressive battle, their Pokémon only knew a couple of moves, but he was still grinning like a maniac. Cheren saw his expression and looked up at the ceiling in some sort of prayer before putting his attention back on them.

"Alright," he said, "I suppose this means that I'm the referee, so just wait for me to start."

Black spread out his legs, getting into a more comfortable position to channel all of his energy. Looking at Bianca, the young boy frowned when he saw her fidgeting nervously, looking down at her shoes. Her satchel strap was wrung up unnaturally, a result of her anxious hands. Black decided that if they were going to battle, he didn't want her to be scared about it.

"Hey, Bianca."

She looked up at him, and he tried his best to turn his excitement into a reassuring smile. "You don't have to be nervous. Let's just have fun, okay?"

Tepig squealed in what he assumed was agreement, and both Bianca and Snivy seemed to calm down some.

"Fun," she repeated, closing her eyes and taking a few deep breaths. She nodded a few times. "Yeah, I can do that. Let's have fun." She opened her eyes, and shifted her closed stance into a more open one. Black could tell that she was still nervous, but at least it was better than before, and hopefully more about the battle itself than the idea of having it.

Cheren watched both of them to see if they were prepared or not. He kneeled down to pick up his Oshawott, raising his other hand in the air. "Okay, you guys are ready now, so start when I tell you." He backed up a few steps so as not to get caught in the crossfire. When his back was against the wall, Cheren tensed his arm. He brought it down in a quick slash and announced, "Go!"

"Tepig, use Tackle!" Black shouted.

Tepig gave a squeal and dashed towards Snivy, who was tensed for action. Bianca gave a small yelp, surprised at the immediate attack, but was fast enough to avoid it.

"Dodge it!"

Snivy jumped out of the way at the last second, its speed proving to be a great boon. It landed on top of the desk, pushing all of Black's things over the edge, but he gave it no thought. Tepig still charged on by, heading right for the wall.

Black's eyes widened. "Wait, Tepig! Stop!"

The pig Pokémon ceased its running, but its momentum was too great, and it crashed into the wall, knocking down several of the pictures that hung there. Tepig stood up, but almost fell down right after. _'That must've been harder than it looked,'_ Black thought, fighting the urge to go and see of his new Pokémon was alright.

Bianca giggled into her hands, and was quick to take advantage of the dazed Pokémon.

"Snivy, use Tackle!"

The serpentine Pokémon charged head-first at Tepig, making Black gulp. He tried to think of what to do. _'I might not be a genius like Cheren, but Pokémon are still my speciality! Snivy's faster than my Tepig, but that speed probably comes from its limber body and light weight. I'll bet all my money that Tepig's more durable and powerful.'_

"Tepig, use Tackle too!"

Black's new partner shook its head, clearing away the cobwebs left over from its last attack, and began to charge at Snivy. The newbie trainer knew that Bianca didn't know as much about Pokémon as he did, and was banking on the hope that she wouldn't notice what he was planning.

When the two Pokémon collided, they recoiled off each other and slammed into opposite sides of the room. Tepig staggered off the cracked bed, and Black sighed in relief when he only spotted a few bruises on its head and side. Snivy looked much worse for the wear, and he mentally patted himself on the back.

A regular tackle shouldn't of done that much damage, but it hadn't been a regular tackle. Tepig's tackle was already more powerful than Snivy's, but Snivy was also tackling Tepig, unknowingly producing more force for Tepig's tackle to act against. Tepig didn't come out without a scratch, of course, but the fire Pokémon was much more durable than the grass snake.

Glancing at Cheren, he noticed the glint in his friend's eye. Black grunted, not really surprised that someone as smart as Cheren had noticed his little trick. Focusing back on the battle, Black saw that Snivy was on its last legs and decided it was time to end it.

"Alright Tepig, end it with another tackle!"

Tepig sped towards Snivy, and despite Bianca's frantic direction, the grass type could barely stand on its feet. Black's partner slammed into Snivy, sending it several feet away where it crashed into a chair, breaking it into splinters.

Cheren began a slow clap. "I guess that ends it," he said.

"Snivy!" Bianca called, running over to her fallen Pokémon. Black flinched when she came back, her knocked out Snivy resting limply in her arms.

"Uh..." He scratched the back of his head, looking down at Tepig, who appeared to be of the same mind. It shifted nervously on its hooves, the adrenaline of battle leaving its system. Black knew that a Pokémon battle ended when one of the Pokémon couldn't fight anymore, but actually doing it made him feel like kind of a jerk. "Sorry..."

Cheren scoffed. "What are you sorry for? You won, I thought you'd be jumping around, making an even bigger mess of your room."

With a start, Bianca and Black looked around, and both gave a shudder. There was a large crack on the wall, framed pictures broken and littered along the edge, Oshawott picking through the remains of a shattered chair in the corner, and an assortment of items littering the floor around the desk. All in all, it looked like a pack of Tauros had stampeded through Black's room.

"Hilbert! What's going on up there!?"

The victorious trainer felt a shiver run down his spine. _'Oh Arceus, if my mom finds out about the disaster area my room turned into, she'll skin me alive!'_ he thought, running to the door, opening it, and sticking out his head.

"Don't worry mom! We were just... um..." He turned back to his friends. "What were we doing!?" Black whispered in a panic.

"You were battling," Cheren stated, his face deadpan.

Black wanted to strangle him, but before he could, Bianca held up a finger like she had an idea.

"Oh! You were fighting with Cheren over who gets which Pokémon!"

Giving her a thankful nod, the young boy readdressed his mother. "Me and Cheren got into a fight again, but don't worry! Really, we're cool now!"

There was a pause. "Okay, honey, just as long as you didn't make much of a mess!"

Black gulped, closing the door and placing his hand on its surface to keep himself balanced.

"You're screwed," Cheren concluded, and Black could only nod in agreement. He noticed his bespectacled friend giving Bianca's Snivy a strange yellow crystal, which woke up the fainted Pokémon. Bianca gasped in elation, picking up her partner and hugging the life out of it.

"Wow, thanks, Cheren!"

Black grunted, but was curious enough to dismiss his slight annoyance. "What'd you give it?"

Cheren rolled his eyes. "It's a revive. It can bring back fainted Pokémon. I'm not surprised you don't know about it, since all you seem to care about is battling."

Black huffed, even if he had to admit that Cheren was right. Things like potions and ethers weren't against the rules when it came to battling, but they were frowned upon, therefore no trainers ever used them on TV.

Cheren gestured to his bruised Tepig, who was nibbling on his shoelaces again. "Hand it over so I can give it some medicine."

Black bent down and picked up his Pokémon, receiving a whine of protest. Giving it to Cheren, who already had a spray potion in hand, the boy glanced at Bianca. She was still holding her Snivy close, rubbing its head.

"So... It's okay now?" he asked.

Bianca graced him with a smile. "Yeah, it's fine now." Her grin became sheepish. "Sorry about your room, though. You'll probably get in trouble because of me."

She had a point, since it was all her idea to begin with, but Black couldn't tell her that.

"What? Nah, I'm sure it won't be too bad..." He trailed off when he saw the look on her face. She knew his mother well enough to know just what kind of punishment he'd get. "Okay, so I'll probably get skinned alive when I get back, but that's alright with me." He chuckled a bit, fiddling with the brim of his hat. "It was worth it."

Black couldn't meet her eyes. Saying that felt like jumping off a bridge, and he cursed his cheeks for burning as much as they did, but sighed in internal relief when Bianca patted his shoulder.

"Yeah, it was totally worth it," she said.

"Alright, here you go," Cheren said, catching their attention. He held out a healed Tepig, who squealed before jumping into Black's arms. "I was going to ask you for a battle, But I guess I can wait for you two to finish your little bonding moment."

Now they were both blushing.

Bianca began a lengthy stream of incomprehensible stammers, pulling Snivy closer and closer to her chest until the small Pokémon looked like it was about to pop. Black wasn't as embarrassed, mostly because he knew Cheren was just messing with them, but he still felt his face take a darker hue of red.

"H-Hey!" he said. "You w-want a battle? Fine, let's go right now!"

Cheren smirked. "Right now? Well, I guess your room couldn't get any worse." He walked to the center of the room, carefully stepping around any debris. "Oshawott, get ready for battle."

The little water Pokemon stopped playing with the broken pieces of the chair and hobbled over, taking its position in front of Cheren.

Black looked down at the Pokémon in his arms. "You up for another one, bud?" he asked, and smiled when Tepig gave a squeal of excitement. Either the potion had alleviated its exhaustion along with its wounds, or the Pokémon just loved battling as much as its trainer did.

He walked over to stand on the other side of the ruined room, dropping Tepig in front of him. In unison, Cheren and Black turned to face Bianca, whose face was starting to return to its normal color.

She raised an eyebrow. "Uh, what?"

Cheren palmed his face. "Ugh. Bianca, we need someone to start us off."

Bianca perked up. "Oh, right! Okay, start on three!"

"One..."

Black spaced out his feet, bending slightly into a comfortable position. Cheren crossed his arms, but otherwise stayed the same.

"Two..."

Cheren was expressionless, and Black was unnerved by his friend's attitude. It was the same look he had when he read a book: calm, cool, and collected.

_'Arrogant bastard.'_

"Three!"

"Tepig, use Tackle!" Black commanded, intent on catching his opponent by surprise.

With a loud squeal, the fire Pokémon charged at Oshawott, who shifted nervously on its paws but otherwise waited for its trainer's instructions.

Cheren scoffed. "Oshawott, Tail Whip."

The water type turned around and wagged its tail at the approaching Pokémon. Tepig slowed its speed, the Tail Whip making it lower its guard.

"Now, dodge and tackle it from its flank," Cheren directed.

Just before Tepig rammed it with its head, Oshawott sidestepped the attack. The water Pokémon then jumped right back at its opponent and slammed head-first into Tepig's side, blasting it several feet away.

"Tepig!" Black shouted. He gritted his teeth as his Pokémon got on its shaky feet. _'Damn it.'_ He glanced at Cheren, who still had his arms crossed, bored as ever. _'What was that!?'_

Cheren shook his head. "You didn't really think that would work for you twice, did you?" he asked. His response was a glare, and the bespectacled trainer scoffed. "Oh, come on. It was a bother, but I payed attention to your battle with Bianca. Hit hard and fast, eh? Your 'catch-them-by-surprise' tactic won't work on me. I won't let it."

"Tepig, use Tackle again!"

The fire Pokémon charged again, and Oshawott stayed glued to its spot on the floor, much more confident than it was a few seconds before.

"Oshawott, Tackle." Following its trainer's instructions, the small water Pokémon dashed at Tepig.

Black frowned. Cheren should've known what happened to Snivy when it tried going head-to-head against Tepig. There was no doubt that his Pokémon had the most raw strength of all three, he and Cheren both knew that, so what was his friend thinking?

Right before the two Pokémon collided, Cheren issued his next command. "Oshawott, jump over Tepig and tackle it from behind."

Doing as its trainer said, Oshawott leaped over the surprised fire type and landed a few feet behind it. When it touched the floor, Oshawott immediately dashed at Tepig, who had just started to slow its momentum. With a great push, the water type Pokémon blasted its opponent forward, where it crashed into the wall.

Black stared dumbfounded at his fainted Tepig as Bianca picked it up, holding it along with her Snivy, who began poking the unresponsive Pokémon.

"Um, so I guess that's it," said Bianca, just remembering her referee duties. "Cheren wins!" Oshawott crossed its arms, giving Bianca an irritated glare. The young girl giggled. "Oh, sorry Oshawott. You win too!" The water type nodded once in thanks, a satisfied smirk present on its lips.

Bianca handed Tepig over to Black, who was still in a state of shock. Seeing this, she tried reassuring her long-time friend.

"Don't worry Black, it's only your second Pokémon battle," she told him.

"That's the thing, though!" Black announced incredulously Tepig jumped in his arms, surprised by the volume of its trainer's voice. Said trainer held his Pokémon with one arm, using the other to point accusingly at his male best friend. "It's _his_ first! I should've won that!"

Cheren scoffed, something Black was getting really tired of hearing. "You know, I wasn't kidding when I said I wanted Oshawott from the beginning," Cheren said. Seeing his friends' questioning looks, he sighed before elaborating. "Tepig might be stronger, and Snivy might be faster, but Oshawott is right in the middle." He waved his hand at the fire Pokémon in Black's arms, "Fast enough to run circles around your Pokémon," he then gestured to Bianca, "and strong enough to overwhelm yours."

Black glared at Cheren. "That doesn't have anything to do with it," he said. "There's more to Pokémon than just stats and categories!"

Cheren rolled his eyes. "Hn. You know all about Pokémon, Black, and the things you pulled against Bianca were pretty clever." He tapped the side of his head. "But I've got tons of knowledge on Pokémon too, and unlike you, I actually know how to use it."

Black stepped towards him, dropping Tepig on the floor. "Now listen here-"

Just as Bianca was about to intervene, the door to Black's room swung open. On the other side was his mom, holding a tray of cookies that slipped out of her hands and clattered on the floor the moment she took a look inside.

Bianca covered her mouth in surprise, Cheren audibly gulped, and all of Black's righteous anger left him.

"Uh-oh."

"HIIIIIIIIIILBEEEEEEEERT!"

* * *

"... and the chair! It's completely shattered, Hilbert! It can't even be fixed!"

Black ducked his head down. Cheren and Bianca had been allowed to go home and say goodbye to their parents, leaving him to sit through his mother's fury. He glared at Tepig, who was on the kitchen counter eating the pile of cookies that were supposed to be for him. Seeing this, the fire pig Pokémon tried to stop, but the alluring smell of the freshly-baked goodies drew it back in. Black sighed, figuring he couldn't really blame his Pokémon for enjoying something so delicious.

"Well, young man? What do you have to say for yourself?"

"I'm sorry, mom," he told her, scratching the back of his head. "I guess we were just excited that we got our Pokémon, so we went a little overboard."

His mother's eyes softened, and she sat on the kitchen counter. She absently started rubbing Tepig's head, and the fire pig closed its eyes in contentment.

"I... I know, honey," she said. "When you meet your first Pokémon... It's something truly wonderful. I remember when I went on my own Pokémon journey..."

She trailed off, and Black was left to awkwardly sit on the sofa as his mother succumbed to her memories.

"Uh, mom?"

"..."

"Mom."

"... Huh? Oh!" She snapped back to reality, holding a hand to her chest. "I'm sorry, Hilbert. What were you saying?"

Black sighed. "Mom, I wasn't saying anything. What were _you_ saying?"

"Right!" She remembered. Standing up, the retired trainer loomed over Black's sitting form with her hands on her hips. "Now, I'll let you go on your own journey, but you have to promise me one thing." Her voice was menacing, insinuating that he better agree with whatever she told him to do or else.

The newbie trainer gulped. "Y-Yeah?"

She lunged at him, and to his bafflement, he soon found himself wrapped in her arms.

"Just promise me that you'll be safe."

His mom was shaking, and it didn't take long for him to realize that she was crying. Unsure, Black hugged her back. Only once in his life had he seen his mother cry, and that had been so long ago that he could hardly remember it.

"Mom..."

She squeezed him tighter. "And promise that you'll call at least once a week."

"Mom, I-"

She squeezed him even tighter, and he found himself short of breath. "An-And don't forget to brush your teeth, because I know how you are!"

He nodded. "Alright, I'll-"

"A-And make sure that y-you use a pillow when you camp out, b-b-because if you don't then you'll j-just get a stiff neck and-"

"Mom!" he wheezed out. Gasping at his labored speech, Black's mother quickly let go of her hold and sat beside him, trying to wipe off the tears on her face. "Look," he said after regaining the lost air in his lungs, "I can't promise you that I'll be safe-"

"Hilbert-"

"But!" he interrupted. "I promise that I'll come back home, okay?"

She nodded after a few moments, but had her head turned so that he couldn't see her cry. Black stood and went to the kitchen counter to pick up his Tepig, who was still gorging itself on chocolate chip cookies. Placing the whining fire Pokémon on his head, Black picked up his traveling pack and made his way to the front door. When he put his hand on the knob, he turned around, looking at the crying woman sitting in the living room sofa.

Black opened the door, walked outside, and closed it. He took one step more when he heard his mother's shout.

"This doesn't mean that you're off the hook! You're in a whole heap of trouble when you get back!"

_'Damn it!'_

Sighing in defeat, Black strolled his way to Professor Juniper's lab, where he'd meet up with Cheren and Bianca so they could all start their journey together. It wasn't a long walk, as Nuvema Town was a pretty small place, but he felt slightly proud to be showing off his new Pokémon to the community.

All the adults smiled serenely, and he put Tepig down to play with all the little kids as he they made their way through town. He couldn't help but smirk at the looks of jealousy being sent his way by the kids that were his age.

Black made sure to pass by Cheren's house and say goodbye to his friend's parents. They had been good to him for years, so it was only right that he stopped there before going on his journey. He tried the same with Bianca's parents, but when he heard shouting coming from inside, he decided that it might not've been the best time.

_'I'll just call them later, then.'_

Finally, he reached the high-tech building and the crowd dispersed. By the front door was Cheren, who, by the look of his twitching eye, seemed to be annoyed with all the new attention.

Black grinned. "What's wrong, Cheren? Can't stand the fame?" He tutted with a shake of his head. "And here I thought you wanted to be the League Champion."

"I do!" Cheren exclaimed. "It's just... I'll make it more... private."

"Private? How're you gonna make being the strongest trainer in the region a private thing?"

"Oh, you know," Cheren waved his hand dismissively, "no public appearances, maybe one or two interviews a year, and I'll ask them not to release my winning fight on TV."

Black rolled his eyes. As obnoxiously vain as his friend was, he became a nervous wreck when it came to attention. Whenever he did anything amazing, Cheren always tried to keep it on the down low with everyone. Not because he was modest, since he lorded his many skills and achievements over Black for years, but because he just couldn't handle too many eyes looking his way all at once.

"You know they'll release it on TV anyway, right? It's kind of a requirement."

Cheren nodded in a resigned manner. "Yeah, I figured. But at least everyone'll know that I tried. That should give them an idea of the kind of things I don't like to do."

Black chuckled. "All of this is assuming that you even become the League Champion."

Cheren scoffed, all signs of his social anxiety replaced by his usual snobbishness. "Please, give me a couple of years and I'll have that position in the bag."

"Yeah right."

"You can't even say anything to me," Cheren said, fixing on his glasses. "You know, since I beat you and everything."

Black growled. "That was a one time thing."

"Yeah, it was." Cheren smirked. "I'm not going to waste my time fighting a weakling like you again."

Both Black and the Tepig on the ground growled in protest. "Hey, you only won because your stupid Osha-"

Stopping himself, Black looked around. "Dude, where's your Oshawott?" he asked, finding no sign of the sea otter Pokémon.

Cheren scoffed. "Well I don't want it to be tired when we leave, so I put it back in its Pokéball."

"Oh..."

"Don't tell me you forgot that we had those."

"Of course not!" Black denied. He unclipped his own Pokéball from his belt and held it out to Tepig. "You okay with going back in here, bud? I'll call on you after we leave."

The fire pig squealed with a nod, and Black couldn't help but be impressed with how well his Pokémon could understand him. It wasn't that Tepig could actually understand English, but something beyond language...

He smiled to himself. _'Pokémon are pretty amazing.'_

After he returned Tepig to its Pokéball, Black and Cheren stood in front of Professor Juniper's place to wait for Bianca. After several minutes of standing outside looking like a couple of idiots, Cheren sighed, hanging back his head.

"Come on, not again!"

Black felt the need to defend his other childhood friend. "Aw, Cheren, I'm sure that she didn't forget this time. I mean, we just saw her like half an hour ago. She's probably just saying goodbye to her parents."

"For thirty minutes?"

"You know how emotional she is sometimes."

"Oh, believe me, I know." Cheren shuddered. "Don't get me wrong, I love Bianca, but her hugs always crush my ribs."

Black just nodded, not saying that he sort of liked Bianca's hugs. That would've just embarrassed him.

"Hey, I know," Cheren said, his voice too sarcastically peppy to be genuine. "How about you go get her, huh?"

Black frowned. "Why am I always the one that has to go get her?"

"Why not? You don't want to?"

"No, it's not that," said Black, completely missing Cheren's smirk. When he turned to face his bespectacled friend, it was gone. "It's just that you never even try going yourself. Are you really that lazy?"

"Yeah, yeah, just go already."

Black began walking back to Bianca's house, but not without giving his old friend the middle finger.

This time, no crowds formed, and the jealous glares from his peers were lessened. When he reached his friend's home, the young trainer decided to knock on the door, remembering the shouting he heard earlier.

Bianca's mother opened the door, her expression rattled. "Yes? Oh, Hilbert! You're here for Bianca?"

Black nodded and peered past the woman. "Yeah, is she here? It's almost time to leave."

Bianca's mom paused in thought. Finally, she sighed and moved out of the way. "She's in her room."

The trainer thanked her and walked through the front door. He went upstairs to Bianca's room and knocked on the door, having learned his lesson from the last time he went inside her room unannounced.

"Who is it?" a choked up voice called out.

That was strange. Was Bianca crying? She was too happy and bubbly to cry. "It's me," he responded uncertainly.

There was a moment of silence before she told him, "Come in."

When he entered the room, Black took no notice of the pink curtains on the window, or the equally pink table in the corner, having seen and complained about it many times throughout the years. Instead, he rushed to Bianca's side, sitting next to Snivy on the purple bed sheets.

She didn't try to hide her tears, and when he sat down, Bianca clung to him and cried into his chest. Never having had to comfort her before, Black awkwardly patted her on the back, his face burning. Snivy did the same to her knee, though much less uncomfortably.

"Bianca, what's going on?" Black asked. "You're never sad about anything."

She took her head from his chest and sat up beside him, wiping off the wetness on her cheeks. "I'm s-s-sorry, Black, it's j-just that it's s-so unfair and I c-c-can't b-believe that I... I..."

"Hey, hey." He put his hand on her shoulder to stop her rambling. "Slow down, okay?"

She nodded and started again after taking a deep breath. "Black, my d-dad... He won't let me go with you guys!"

Wait, what?

"Huh?" Black asked, flabbergasted.

"I can't leave!" Bianca exclaimed. "My dad, he said that I was too y-young, and that I wasn't ready for the world. Black, I-I-"

She crushed herself against him again, sobbing into his sweater. Black couldn't believe what she told him. _'Bianca's dad has always been a little overprotective, but this?' _Looking down at the crying girl in his arms, Black's face changed into one of determination. _'She's coming, whether that guy wants her to or not.'_

He stood, gingerly getting out of her hold, and strode over to her bedroom window. He opened it and poked his head out, measuring the distance from the second floor of the house to the ground. With a satisfied nod, Black turned back to his confused friend.

"Okay, c'mon, Bianca," he told her, holding out a hand.

His friend stayed rooted to her seat, casting a nervous glance at the opened window. "What are you doing?" she asked, her tears beginning to dry.

Black gave her a reassuring smile. "Just trust me on this, alright?" he asked. Snivy jumped down from he edge of the purple bed and strutted over to his side, turning to face it's trainer expectantly. "See? Snivy's got the right idea."

Hesitantly, Bianca got up from he bed and reached his other side, looking out her window. "What're you thinking, Black?" she asked uncertainly.

Black patted the rim of the window. "Isn't it obvious? Your dad isn't gonna let you leave, so I'll help you run away."

"Run away? But..."

"I know," he said. "It might be a bit much to jump off the window and everything, but don't worry, I'll catch you! Plus, it doesn't _look_ like such a big drop." That said, Black got a leg through the window and got ready to let go.

"That's not what I meant," Bianca told him, grabbing his shoulder to keep him from jumping. "It's just... I don't know if I can run away. My parents'll be worried, and I... I don't know of I can do it..."

Black sighed, looking out the window at the people walking through town. He saw some kids playing tag, adults carrying around nets full of Magikarp, and more importantly, his past classmates.

"Look there," he told Bianca, pointing at two boys their age, who were being taught how to build houses by their father. His friend stared out the window, and they both watched on as one of the boys dropped a large pile of wooden planks.

"What about them?" she asked.

Black leaned on the window frame. "Don't you remember? Those guys wanted to be trainers too."

"Everyone wants to be a trainer when they're little," Bianca stated, taking Snivy in her arms. The small grass Pokémon closed its eyes, enjoying her embrace.

Black nodded. "Yeah, but we're the only ones who did it," he said, crossing his arms.

Bianca gave him a small smile. "We did. Cheren too, remember?"

Black rolled his eyes. "Sure, whatever, but you get the point, don't you? We're trainers now, that means we can go see the world. Do you really wanna be stuck in this tiny town for the rest of your life like those two?"

Bianca looked down. "I know what you mean, but my parents-"

"Your parents'll be fine with it," he assured her. "You can call them whenever you want with the X-transceiver, and its not like they'll drag you back."

Bianca sighed. "You're crazy, you know that?" she asked, and Black nodded his head with a grin. "That's the thing, though. You want to be a Pokémon Master, Cheren wants to be the League Champion, and you're both crazy determined enough to do it. What am _I_ crazy determined enough to do?"

Black's smile widened, and he gestured to the window. "How about we go find out?"

After a few silent moments, Bianca slowly nodded, and Black inwardly whooped in victory.

"That's the spirit, Bianca!" he exclaimed silently so as to not arise the suspicion of the girl's parents. He held up a hand. "Stay here, I'll go down first."

With that, Black proceeded to jump off the second story window. Bianca heard a thud, and looked down to see her friend sitting on the ground rubbing his ankles.

"You okay?" she whispered.

He looked up at her and gave a thumbs up. Black stood up and made a 'come on' gesture, holding up his arms in a catching position.

Bianca breathed deeply, but before she jumped, the female trainer suddenly remembered the Pokémon in her arms. Sheepishly, she stored the now sleeping Snivy inside its Pokéball and moved tho the edge of her window once more.

She stared down at Black, and gulped when she realized that the boy's arms wouldn't be enough to break her fall. With another deep breath, Bianca jumped.

She landed a moment later, though it didn't hurt as much as she thought it would. In fact, the ground seemed much softer than usual, and it was... groaning?

"Oh!" Bianca quickly got off of Black, who still had the air knocked out of his lungs. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!"

Black grinned, though his smile was considerably strained. "N-No... p-p-prob-blem..." he assured her, slowly getting back on his feet. "That... might not have been the best idea."

His friend giggled. "Yeah, I guess so. But we did it..." Bianca's eyes widened, and she realized what she had just done. "I ran away..." she mumbled, looking back at her house.

Black placed a hand on her shoulder. "Bianca? You alright?"

"I ran away!" she exclaimed, and hugged Black so forcefully that his back made several popping sounds.

_'Okay, Cheren might have a point about the hugs,'_ the newbie trainer thought as he struggled to breathe. _'This is the second time today that I'm about to get hugged to death!'_

"Bian... ca..."

With a small yelp, she let him go. Black gasped for air until his lungs filled up and then set his sights on Bianca, who had an embarrassed blush on her cheeks.

"Heh, sorry," she apologized, holding her hands behind her in a way that expelled any thoughts Black had to be angry with her.

"It's fine," he forgave her, brushing off the phantom pain in his arms.

He glanced back at the house, trying to see if Bianca's parents had seen their escape, and relaxed when he saw no one through the windows. "C'mon," he said, "we should probably get going before they see that you aren't in your room anymore."

She nodded, and they both dashed towards Professor Juniper's lab.

* * *

"Well, here we are."

Black, Cheren, and Bianca stood just behind the borders of Nuvema Town, right next to the sign that signified the exit into Route 1. They had met with Professor Juniper, who had given each of them their own Pokédex, having them promise her to catch as many Pokémon as they could. Of course, Black would attempt to catch all the species of the Unova Region so that he could apply for Pokémon mastership, but Pokédexes were useful tools to any trainer, so both his friends were presented with one as well.

All three shared a look of intense determination in their eyes.

_'I don't know what I want to do with my life,'_ Bianca mused, _'but there's a whole world of opportunities. I'll find it, and until I do...' _Her gaze drifted to Cheren, who was too caught up in his own pondering to notice. _'Until then, I better get stronger.'_

Cheren looked over Route 1, the gears in his head spinning wildly. _'I need a fire type as soon as possible. Too bad there aren't any this close to home...'_ He shook his head. _'What a bother. Hn, in any case, my ideal team is out there, and once I get it, the Pokémon League had better be prepared.'_

_'It's finally time!'_ Black thought, an excited grin on his lips. _'First the gyms, then the League, and then the Pokédex. Master badge, here I come!'_ He glanced at his friends, only to see Cheren's calculating expression and Bianca's red face. Smiling, the young trainer wrapped an arm around both their shoulders, breaking them off from their pondering.

"C'mon guys, let's get out of here!" he said.

Bianca and Cheren (though reluctantly) reciprocated his action.

"Hey," the girl said, "how about we take the first step of our journeys together?"

Black nodded, and Cheren shrugged, though his mouth was quirked in a slight smile.

"One, two, three!"

They marched forward, leaving behind the small town they had lived in all their lives, not looking back once.

* * *

**AN:**

**First of all, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. As for the rest of the story, there are a few things I need to say, just so you know what to expect.**

**One, and probably worst of all, the update times for this will be erratic at best and sparse at worst. Sorry, but I've got another story I want to focus on, not to mention my life, so this'll take no priorities over anything else.**

**Two, Pokémon are probably going to be restricted to 5th gen, y'know, since that's the region this takes place on. Anyone who wants a Growlithe to appear out of nowhere will be disappointed.**

**Three, this takes place in the game universe, meaning that all information on Pokémon (abilities, moves, and especially sizes) will be taken straight from the Pokédex.**

**Four, this will be a pretty light-hearted story. I can't write anything serious for my life, and on the off occasion that I do, l'll be turned off from writing for days. That means that this won't be some super realistic take on Pokémon. No wars, no deaths (or at least it won't be a constant danger), no sex, blah blah blah.**

**If anyone has a problem with all that, then I hope my writing makes it up. If it doesn't, then please feel free to forget about it, because I'm not changing my mind on what I want to do. I started this primarily because I felt like it, and because there just simply aren't enough good Black/White stories on this site. All the ones I find either have Yaoi (no offense, but c'mon that's like 90% of them), or have both protagonists (male and female player characters), both of which I find unappealing. **

**Anyway, 'till next time.**

**:D**


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